#159 - Building Strong Healthcare Teams Through Servant Leadership

In this uplifting and honest conversation, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Staci Taylor, a seasoned HR executive, musician, and passionate people champion to unpack what it really means to lead with heart in today’s healthcare landscape.

With a rich background leading human resources for some of the nation’s largest health systems, Staci brings a refreshingly candid take on servant leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and the simple (but not easy) practice of treating people like… people.

🧠 Key Themes Explored in This Episode:

🌟 Leadership Is a Calling, Not a Title
Staci believes great leaders are grounded in humility, service, and kindness. She shares powerful personal stories about what shaped her view of leadership and how anyone, from a floor nurse to a facilities engineer, can be empowered to lead.

🛠️ Developing the Mid-Level Bench
Too often, healthcare systems invest in their senior leadership while overlooking the frontline leaders running the show at 2 AM. Staci outlines how building a collaborative leadership pipeline at the manager level can transform retention, morale, and succession planning.

🤝 HR + Finance: A Critical Partnership
Whether she’s building rapport with the CFO or sneaking into the "wrong" conference room to understand the business side of care delivery, Staci is a firm believer that HR professionals must understand… and speak… the language of finance to effectively advocate for people strategies.

🎸 Authenticity at Work
From her love of rock music and restoring a 1971 Chevelle to giving a struggling high school student the confidence to pursue tattoo artistry, Staci embodies what it means to connect with people beyond job titles. Her leadership philosophy? Remove the leash. Empower the person.

💡 Tactical Takeaways for Healthcare HR Leaders:

• Replace micromanagement with trust and clear expectations.
• Prioritize leadership development at every level—not just the top.
• Invite your CFO to lunch. Learn their language.
• Celebrate the whole person, not just the employee.
• Don’t force leadership paths on those who don’t want them. Instead, cultivate influence without formal authority.

📣 Quote to Remember:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek (shared by Staci Taylor)

If you're craving a reminder of why you chose a career in HR—or need the motivation to lead more authentically—this episode will leave you both energized and reflective.

For AP3 Group Stop Loss Interest, contact ASHHRA Executive Director, Jeremy Sadlier at jeremy.sadlier@ashhra.org or 312.985.7062.